Container



April 20, 1943- c. .1. R. HAMMARSTROM 2,317,269

CONTAINER Filed Oct. 16, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR wrrutssz s Charles JIR Ji'amniarsi'rom W BY ATTORNF'V:

April 20, 1943. c. J. R. HAMMARSTROM CONTAINER Filed Oct. 16, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR WITNE55S Char-[cs K It .jlamrnan'strorn WM ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 20, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CONTAINER Charles J. R. Hammarstrom, Richmond Hill, N. Y.

Application October 16, 1941, Serial No. 415,241

3 Claims.

This invention relates to containers, and more particularly the type of container which may be readily carried on the person, in the pocket or purse, and which is designed to carry simple articles.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown my invention adapted to a cigarette container but it will be appreciated that this is merely for the purpose of illustration and that the invention may be readily adapted to containers for innumerable purposes.

An object of the invention is to provide a container which may be readily and inexpensively constructed out of plastic material, such as Celluloid or Cellophane, and which will protect the contents more adequately than the containers now in use.

A further object is to provide a container which may be readily and inexpensively stamped out and assembled so as to permit it to be widely distributed and inexpensively replaced.

A further object is to provide a container which may be simply manipulated and which will use the natural resilience of the material from which it is made to normally keep it in a closed position.

While it will be appreciated that the container may be made of any suitable material depending upon the use to which it is to be put and the length of time it is desired to last, I have shown in the accompanying drawings a container made out of cellulose plastic of a stock of approximately of an inch.

In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a container embodying my invention showing the manner of operating the cover;

Fig. 2 is a, side elevation in section of my container (the side may be referred to as the right side for the purposes of identification);

Fig. 3 is a front view thereof;

Fig. 4 is a side view showing the operating tab;

Fig. 5 is a rear view showing the hinge construction;

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the cover member assembled;

Fig. 8 is a plan view of the blank from which the body portion is made;

Fig. 9 is a plan view of the blank from which the cover member is made.

My container It) comprises a body portion II and a. cover portion l2 which may be stamped out in the fiat and scored or creased, as shown in Figs. 8 and 9. The blank II is cut through at l4 and I5 and a button I6 is embossed upwardly for purposes which will hereinafter be described.

The blank II is divided into side members I1 and It], a rear member H], a front 20, a fastening tab 2|, a bottom 22 and fastening tabs 23, 24 and 25 connecting with the bottom 22. The top 26 of the front 20 may be out out to give ready access to the contents. The cover blank I2 is divided into a top 30, a short side member 3|, and a short front member 32 having tabs 33 and 34, a rear member 35 with tabs 36 and 31, and a hinge extension 38 provided with an opening 39. The other side member 40 extends downwardly in a relatively straight line along its rear edge 4| and is curved along its front edge 42. In assembling, the members are folded along the dotted lines F and. in the body portion the tabs 2| engage the front 20, the tab 24, the side H, the tab 23, back I!) and tab 25, and the front 20. This folding operation may be done by hand or it may be done by machine where heat and pressure will cause the tabs 2|, 23, 24 and 25 to adhere to the proper position. Where cellulose or plastic material is used heat and pressure are sufficient but an adhesive may be used if desired.

The cover blank is similarly folded along the lines F, the tabs 34 and 3'! engaging the side member 40 and the tabs 33 and 36 engaging the side member 3|. The cover is then in the form shown in Fig. '7.

The container may be quickly assembled by inserting the end 45 of the hinge extension 38 through the slots l4 and [5 until the button l6 engages the opening 39. The cover will then be definitely positioned with relation to the body member and the extended side member 40 will lie along the outside of the wall I8. The shoulders 46 and 41 may be provided to prevent the hinge extension from passing too far through the slot l4.

As shown in Fig. l, the container may be readily opened by a simple movement of the fingers exerting a sliding pressure against the side 40 thus causing the cover to raise at its front end bending the hinge extension 38. In the open position the cover is shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. Upon releasing the side portion 40 the natural resilience of the material will cause the cover to snap back over the body portion to close the container and to prevent any of the contents from spilling out into the pocket or purse.

As has been previously stated, I have shown my container in the form and general shape of a cigarette package but this is merely for the purpose of illustration. Similarly I have described the container as made of a light cellulose plastic, but it will be appreciated that it may be made of any material and will operate effectively as long as the hinge extension is made of material having sufiicient resilience to close the container when the side 40 is released.

I claim:

1. A container consisting of a hollow body open at one end and a cover which fits on the open end portion of said body, said cover having a resilient extension on one end and a second separate extension on one side overlying one side wall of said body and the other side of the cover leaving the major portion of the other side wall of the body exposed, and means on said body engaged by said resilient extension to yieldingly hold said cover in closed position on said body, and to return said cover from an open position into its closed position, said second extension being manipulatable with fingers of one hand while the thumb of the hand is in contact with the opposite side wall of the body, to thereby flex the resilient extension and cause the cover to move to the open position.

2. A container as set forth in claim 1, wherein said means consists of an upstruck portion on said body engaged with said resilient extension.

3. A container as set forth in claim 1, wherein said means consists of a portion of said body which embraces said resilient extension to hold a portion of the latter in contact with said body and an additional portion on said body engaged with provision of the resilient extension to prevent endwise sliding movement of the resilient extension.

CHARLES J. R. HAMMARSTROM. 

